Las Vegas picks up first win of season after blowout win in Los Angeles

Las Vegas stars A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray celebrate during the team's first win of the 2026 season. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

The Las Vegas Aces have their first win of the new year and it came in big fashion.

In the second of a back-to-back, Las Vegas smacked Los Angeles, 105-78, Sunday, May 10 from Crypto.com Arena. The reigning champs were coming off a 33-point loss on Ring Night to Phoenix.

Last year’s Aces team went 1-2 in back-to-backs.

“I don’t like back-to-backs in general,” guard Chelsea Gray said. “However, because of the loss we [had] an opportunity there right in front of us where we had to turn the page super-quick.”

Now with a .500 record, Las Vegas will continue on its four-game road trip. That journey will proceed with consecutive games against Connecticut with the first of which coming Wednesday, May 13.

Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Out of halftime, the Aces may have played their best basketball of the night en route to winning the third quarter by 15 points. That undid a -14 second quarter for the club that allowed it to take just a one-point lead into halftime.

After building a 15-point lead in the first quarter on a 14-0 run, Las Vegas led by as many as 16 points in the first half. That swelled in the fourth quarter to as many as 32 points in the wire-to-wire win.

“I got on the starters pretty good in the last meeting,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “I wanted them to set a better tone which they did. The rest of the group kind of follows that.”

Aces guard Chennedy Carter finishes under the rim inside Crypto.com Arena. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

Guard Chennedy Carter led the team with 22 points off the bench, highlighted by 15 points in the second half. Through her first two games with her new team, she is averaging 16 points per game.

Her effort helped the Aces win the bench points battle, 30-7.

“[She gives us] points,” Hammon said. “Lots of points. She’s somebody who has only been here about two minutes so she’s still learning our system. I thought she was great tonight on both sides of the ball, I thought she brought a lot of energy. She’s doing what we’re asking her to do and she’s doing it at a really high level.”

Guard Jackie Young added 20 points and a game-high nine assists in the win. Gray chipped in with 16 points on 60% shooting including four made three-pointers.

“Lots of conversation and confidence in this group,” Gray said. “We fall back on our experience, we fall back on the confidence, the chemistry we’ve created over the years and we just bring people along who haven’t had the experience and haven’t been in our locker room.”

Las Vegas forward A'ja Wilson battles next to Los Angeles forward Nneka Ogwumike. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

As a team, Las Vegas shot 62% from the field with eight players shooting 50% or better from the floor.

Forward NaLyssa Smith poured in 12 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting. That contributed to more than 60 points in the paint for the visitors.

Forward A’ja Wilson missed her first four shots of the night before connecting on her next three attempts. She finished with 19 points, two blocks, a steal and four rebounds for a second consecutive game.

While hauling in those four boards, Wilson tallied her 2,500 career rebounds. In doing so, she tied Hall-of-Famer Lisa Leslie as the third-fastest in league history to accomplish the feat.

“Holding that team in the -teens for three of the four quarters is hard to do,” Hammon said. “They are an explosive team offensively. I was very pleased with our lock-in factor. They did a lot right tonight.”